Voted as a top artificial intelligence (AI) tool by DPS readers, Second Opinion is a real-time dental software that gives dentists—and their patients—a second set of eyes
With over 2 decades of solo practice experience under his belt, Dr. Naren Rajan has had ample opportunity to hone and perfect his diagnostic skills. “Once my hygienists take the x-rays, I read them in my private office with the lights dimmed, similar to how a medical radiologist would,” he said.
But even the most highly trained eyes can sometimes overlook subtle details, especially without a partner dentist to discuss potential diagnoses with. That's one reason why Dr. Rajan has found tremendous value in Second Opinion, a real-time dental AI platform that automatically detects numerous conditions in dental x-rays.
“My team and I use the software exactly as it’s named—as a second opinion to either confirm or refute what I’m already thinking based on my reading of the radiographs,” Dr. Rajan explained. “I still read the x-rays how I normally would, but then I turn to Second Opinion as an adjunctive tool to aid in my diagnosis."
Boosting Patient Communication
Second Opinion provides dentists with added assurance by making it easier for them to read radiographs and communicate findings to patients. Featuring a high-contrast user interface, the software automatically detects signs of various dental pathologies and other treatable conditions found in radiographs, including hard-to-spot issues like incipient caries or the early signs of a periapical radiolucency.
“Now, when I do an exam, the hygienists have already viewed the x-rays through Second Opinion and educated the patient about possible findings that I may discuss with them,” Dr. Rajan said. “But we also make sure it's used responsibly, which means we don’t just listen to what the software is saying. We are still diagnosticians, and we must be clear conveying that to our patients, too.”
Embracing the Way of the Future
According to Pearl, dentists who use Second Opinion gain a stronger clinical foundation for care that allows them to detect 37% more disease and boost case acceptance by up to 30%—all while building trust with their patients.
“I’m definitely a cheerleader for this software,” shared Dr. Rajan, who teaches dentists around the world about the benefits of a digital workflow. “There have been cases where it's allowed me to provide treatment sooner than I would have without it. And out of all the technology that I've introduced over the last 10 or 15 years, Second Opinion was by far the quickest to adopt. It was basically integrated within a week, and now that we've used it every day for a year, I wouldn't want to practice without it!"
